The White Wonder
by unicorn-skydancer08
Summary: While exploring the Western Wood with Tumnus, Lucy encounters a beautiful white unicorn named Terence, and together they all form a remarkable friendship that will last forever.
1. Chapter 1

**THE WHITE WONDER**

_Ever wondered how Tumnus and Lucy first met with Terence? I did write a small one-shot about Tumnus's encounter with the unicorn at one time, but then I figured I ought to make their encounter into a real story. So, I decided to try it. Leaving a review when you are through reading would really please me, especially if it's a favorable review. _

_

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Characters (at least the majority of them) © C.S. Lewis and Disney/Walden Media_

_Terence © unicorn-skydancer08_

_Story © unicorn-skydancer08_

**All rights reserved. **

_**Any theft or copying of this story is prohibited. Your honesty is sincerely appreciated. **_

**

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Chapter 1**

"Faster, Candance!" young Queen Lucy the Valiant urged her small, fleet-footed bay mare; while not far behind, Tumnus the faun urged Diallo, a tall, thickset black stallion, onward as well.

Together, they raced through the autumn-tinged trees of the sun-dappled Western Wood, the horses' hoof beats sounding rhythmically against the hard earth. Their paces matched almost flawlessly. Lucy reveled in the cool rush of the wind in her face, the sensation of flying over the ground, and the pure exhilaration of being free. Even Tumnus, though he was a faun, and had been initially skeptical about riding like this, found this to be perfectly glorious. He gave out a whoop as Diallo carried him swiftly along, and Lucy dug her heels in Candance's flanks to make her go even faster. Diallo and Candance were almost parallel with one another as they galloped through the wood, hurdling over rocks and fallen logs and gouges in the earth, and once in a while Lucy and Tumnus were compelled to duck down to avoid a whiplash from a low branch.

As they neared the Diamond River, which marked the finishing point of their race, Tumnus glanced sideways at Lucy and boasted, "I'm going to win!"

"No, you're not!" she answered with a cheeky laugh, and Candance gathered up her stride and launched herself ahead of Diallo.

Ultimately, Lucy turned out to be the winner, with Tumnus no more than a hand's breadth behind her. "Ha, ha! I won!" Lucy gloated, reining Candance to a complete and total stop.

"Ah, I don't believe it!" said Tumnus in mock outrage, as Diallo also dwindled to a halt. "Outwitted by a Daughter of Eve—and a queen, at that!"

"Better luck next time, you old goat," she teased him gently.

Diallo and Candance, clearly used up, simultaneously dropped their heads to the ground, panting heavily, their flanks heaving, their glossy coats wet and sparkling with perspiration. Bits of gray-white foam flecked the corners of their mouths. "Looks like the horses have had it," Tumnus commented, reaching down and gently patting one side of Diallo's sleek neck. "Why don't we let them catch their breath, and take a rest ourselves, while we're at it?"

"Suits me fine," said Lucy compliantly, and she promptly jumped down from the saddle.

Tumnus dismounted as well, and they slowly led their horses further, until they were at the edge of the river, which flowed tranquilly along. Diallo and Candance didn't hesitate to lower their muzzles into the water and quaff it down. The cool, sweet, pure water was heavenly, and the horses practically inhaled it by the gallons.

While the horses drank, Tumnus and Lucy rested side by side on the soft grass for a few minutes. It felt good to be alone in the woods like this, where it was calm and quiet.

Lucy had grown weary of her queenly responsibilities at Cair Paravel, and had been anxious to get away from everyone and everything, if only for a while.

If she had to stay in that castle for one more minute—if she had to endure one more of Peter's boring lectures or Susan's absurd pedantries, listen to one more speech or grievance concerning this or that—she was going to lose her mind. Lucy Pevensie (also referred to as simply Queen Lucy, or Lady of the Glistening Eastern Sea) was an independent, spontaneous sort of girl; she was not content with living life solely by the rules. She liked to be wild and free, and hated anything that held her back, kept her pinned to the spot.

She understood her duty as queen of the realm, and before she came to Narnia, she had always dreamed about being royalty.

But, as it became apparent all too soon, a life of royalty wasn't all it was cracked up to be. The responsibility that weighed down on the girl's young shoulders was overwhelming. She had been queen for barely four months, and already she was sick of the business. Being the youngest of the Four Monarchs, everyone else—particularly Peter and Susan, her two eldest siblings—took it upon themselves to dominate her, and order her around. Peter and Susan controlled where Lucy ought to go, how she ought to dress, how she ought to conduct herself, and overall, how she ought to live her life. At least Edmund was more understanding and lenient toward her, and Lucy didn't know what she would do without Tumnus.

Tumnus seemed the only individual in the castle—better yet, in all of Narnia—who truly understood her, and treated her like a perfectly normal person.

He never bullied her or bossed her around, nor did he demean himself in any manner around her, and he often went with what _she_ wanted to do, although he was constantly cautioning her to be careful. He was always so warm and gentle and friendly; he was the first creature Lucy had come across when she set foot in Narnia in the beginning, and they had maintained a very close relationship ever since. In Lucy's eyes, no one had ever found a truer friend, and Tumnus could say the same for her.

"So," said Tumnus, in an attempt at light talk, "how have you been faring these days, Lucy?"

Lucy groaned, and rolled her eyes heavenward.

"Must you really ask, Mr. Tumnus? Had it not been for you and Edmund, and a couple of others, I probably would have run away from Cair Paravel by now and gone to live in the wild."

Tumnus could tell she was only half-kidding. "Life at the castle's really as bad as all that?"

"Oh, sure," said Lucy, with a shrug, "living a life of luxury and power does have its pleasures. But I hate having everyone push me around all the time, especially Susan and Peter. They're always telling me what to do, never letting me make my own choices and decide for myself. And I've always got to do everything just right, and be perfect. I can't afford to make mistakes. As Susan puts it so kindly, 'a queen must set an example for her people'."

In spite of himself, Tumnus had to smile at Lucy's droll yet accurate imitation of her sister.

At that time, unbeknownst to either of them, a tall, slim, mysterious creature was watching them secretively from the thick trees. Although the creature stood quite close, it was so silent and wary that not even the horses were aware of its presence. It was the sort of creature that few people saw straight on, and it was something that could easily vanish within the twinkling of an eye. The creature would never let Lucy or Tumnus see it if it could be helped, but it liked to watch them, and listen to their conversation.

"You're lucky, Mr. Tumnus," Lucy continued. "You get to pick what you want to do with your life. You have the freedom to do whatever you please. If only I had that kind of freedom."

Tumnus felt a wave of compassion wash over him at this statement, and he obligingly reached for Lucy's hand and gave a light squeeze. Lucy smiled up at the faun, and scooted a bit closer to him. "Well, whatever happens, Lucy," he said, now slipping his arm around her shoulders, "whatever path you take in life, I will be at your side…every step of the way."

His reassuring words, in addition to his soft touch on her skin, warmed Lucy's heart.

Ah, the girl thought, if only everyone in the world could have such a friend. If only Peter and Susan were more like Tumnus, then life at Cair Paravel wouldn't be such a drag.

Lucy lowered her gaze and began to absentmindedly straighten the rich, silken skirt of her gown. It was one of her very best, most expensive dresses—made of the finest blue velvet, with gold trimming and a pearly white bodice. Susan would have a fit if she'd found out her sister had gone riding in the forest in such a dress. And none of Lucy's ever-present servants and valets would have allowed her out of the palace in such a state. Regardless of her entourage, Lucy could be quite sneaky, when necessary.

Once the horses had drunk their fill, they proceeded to nibble a little grass, and Tumnus decided to take advantage of the time to freshen himself up a bit.

Since his apparel consisted solely of a scarf, he simply unraveled the scarf from his shoulders and set it aside before wading into the river.

The water was cold, but it was the pleasant, revitalizing kind of cold. At first, the water only covered Tumnus to his pasterns; then, as the faun ventured out farther, it slowly crept up to his hocks, then his thighs, and finally past his waist. Here Tumnus stopped altogether, knowing he would sink like a stone and drown if he went too far.

While her friend bathed, Lucy set off to pick some late-blooming wildflowers that didn't grow too far from the bank. She easily recognized most of the blossoms she came across, having learned the various types from Tumnus himself. She found a fair abundance of goldenrods, hardy mums, white snakeroot, tree mallow—and even a bit of sneezeweed, a term that made her giggle outright when Tumnus first explained it to her. Even now, the funny name still brought a grin to the girl's face.

Lucy knelt down and proceeded to gather some of these flowers together, weaving the long stems carefully together to form a dainty chain. She sang softly to herself while she worked at her task, a song she had heard a nymph sing at one time. While she didn't understand the full meaning of the song, it had an appealing rhythm to it.

Tumnus dipped his face into the water. The water was so crystal clear that the young faun could see everything, right down to the bits of granule at the bottom. Keeping his head down, he proceeded to rub diligently at his cheeks and brow, washing away the dust and anything else that might be clinging to his face. When he couldn't hold his breath any longer, he lifted his head just long enough to let the old air out and draw in new air, before submerging himself once again. He repeated this several more times, and even after he felt he was clean, he continued to relax in the water for a while longer, just savoring the caress of the cool water on his face, looking up every now and again to breathe.

Pity he couldn't hold his breath for very long, really.

As Lucy continued to sing, weave, and daydream, something strange and white in the autumn foliage suddenly caught her eye.

She couldn't be certain, but she thought she saw something that resembled a four-legged beast, blazing white, with a horn as dazzling as the sun.

Startled, Lucy jerked her head around—but whatever was there, if anything was there at all, was gone.

"What…?" the young queen gasped.

Tumnus, who was just lifting his head again, turned immediately to his friend upon hearing this. "Lucy?" he called out.

She didn't answer or acknowledge him, but only continued to stare into the weald, wondering if what she had seen was for real—or if her eyes were simply playing a trick on her.

Knowing something was up, Tumnus promptly splashed his way onto dry land and made a beeline to the girl, trailing water behind him.

"Lucy?" he repeated solicitously, when he reached her. "What is it? Is everything all right?"

"I thought I saw something," said Lucy perplexedly, not bothering to look at him while she spoke.

Tumnus looked in the same direction the girl was focused on. But he saw nothing there, aside from the trees, the leaves painted red and orange and gold in the autumn.

"I see nothing," the faun commented at length. "Nothing out of the ordinary, anyway."

"But I could've sworn there was something there," Lucy muttered. "Something…or someone."

She and Tumnus continued to survey the trees together for a minute or so longer. Then, finally, Tumnus declared, "Perhaps it's time we headed back for Cair Paravel, don't you think?"

Lucy said nothing to this, but she dutifully followed after Tumnus as the faun retrieved his scarf and made way for the horses, who by now were well-fed, well-rested, and satisfied; though she couldn't help glancing over her shoulder every now and again. Tumnus took a moment to dry himself off a bit with one of the saddle blankets, and then he heaved himself astride Diallo and took up the reins. Diallo nickered slightly as Tumnus gently swiveled him around. "Come on," the faun now grinned at Lucy, "I'll race you to the castle!"

And then he urged Diallo into a full-fledged run and bolted ahead, to get a good head start.

"Hey!" Lucy yelled out in protest. "No fair, Mr. Tumnus!"

He just laughed in response, and in almost no time, he and his horse were out of sight.

"So, that's the way he wants to play it," Lucy told herself aloud, as she straddled Candance. "Well, two can play at that game!"

Rather than simply go after Tumnus and Diallo, she decided to take a shortcut. And so, she guided Candance to canter another way.

Candance did not object to this route—but as the bay mare bore Lucy along through the multihued area, a squirrel suddenly darted out of nowhere and cut into the horse's path.

Unfortunately for Lucy, Candance harbored a tremendous phobia of squirrels and other rodents, and she immediately shrieked at the sight and balked, very nearly tipping Lucy off her back as she rose onto her hind legs. "Whoa!" Lucy cried out, in both surprise and alarm. She fought to maintain her grasp on the reins. "Whoa, whoa, Candance—easy! Easy!"

Candance temporarily dropped to all fours before rearing up a second time, flailing the air with her front hooves and whinnying frenziedly. The squirrel seemed just as shocked and outraged to see Candance, and the thing gave out a piping chatter before scurrying for its life, brushing inadvertently against one of the horse's ankles in its haste to get away.

That was all it took for Candance to totally flip out, and she broke into a dead gallop.

"Whoa!" shouted Lucy, as she desperately strained to control the wild mare. "Whoa, girl!"

But Candance was out of control, and she tore through the forest at a breakneck speed, rushing about aimlessly from here to there, shrieking and squealing all the time.

Lucy pulled back on the reins, but didn't dare pull too hard, lest the horse should buck her off. The whole world rushed past Lucy's eyes in a dizzying blur, and the wind and sharp branches of the passing trees whipped her face unmercifully. And Candance only continued to plunge onward.

As they neared a sizable ravine in the earth, Candance's left forehoof abruptly caught on a tangled root, and the horse tripped and fell forward. This pitched Lucy straight out of the saddle, completely over the horse's head. Before Lucy even knew it, she was flying freely through the air—and ended up sailing right over the edge of the cliff!

By the time the girl at last acknowledged what was happening, it was already too late.

All she could do was scream as she flew, and then she hit the solid precipice with a grunt and took a helpless tumble downward, the sharp rocks battering her body and jarring the wind out of her. The precipice was very steep, almost vertical, and there was nothing Lucy could do to stop herself, or slow her momentum.

She must have tumbled a good thirty feet or so, before ultimately reaching the bottom…and there she lay, in a broken, unconscious heap.


	2. Chapter 2

**THE WHITE WONDER**

_I now present chapter 2 to you! (Hey, that rhymes!) This chapter was relatively easy to write. It's a bit graphic, but I promise it's nothing too bad. I'm not very big on the whole blood-and-guts stuff, anyway. Once again, reviews would mean the world to me! _

_

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Tumnus and Lucy © C.S. Lewis and Disney/Walden Media_

_Terence © unicorn-skydancer08_

_Story © unicorn-skydancer08_

**All rights reserved. **

_**Any theft or copying of this story is prohibited. Your honesty is sincerely appreciated. **_

**

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Chapter 2**

Upon hearing Lucy's distant scream, Tumnus promptly pulled on Diallo's reins to slow down the big black horse. "Lucy?" the faun said bewilderedly, glancing over his shoulder.

But his little human friend was nowhere to be seen.

"Lucy?" Tumnus repeated. His azure eyes darted from here to there. "Lucy, where are you?"

There was no response. Sensing that something must be wrong, Tumnus didn't hesitate to steer Diallo around and make him go the other way, and he rode back through the woods at a quick, lively pace. "Lucy?" he called urgently, over the pounding of Diallo's hooves. "Lucy!"

He wove his way expertly through the Western Wood, calling Lucy's name repeatedly, while receiving no reply—until ultimately he came across Candance, who at that time was hobbling along, limping quite badly on her left foreleg, wincing in great pain with every step she took.

"Candance!" At once Tumnus drew to a halt and leapt down from Diallo's back, and he reached out for the mare and grabbed her firmly yet gently by the reins. "Easy, girl," he soothed Candance, who was extremely twitchy in spite of her injury. "Easy—it's all right. It'll be okay. Hey, hey…" The bay mare just whinnied and snorted, and kept tossing her head. Her eyes appeared much bigger than usual; Tumnus could easily distinguish the whites around her bright brown irises. Clearly, she was very distraught about something.

And then Tumnus discovered that the saddle on the mare's back was empty. "_Lucy!_" he gasped, feeling a sharp jolt of fear in his chest. "Oh, no! No—I don't believe it!" To Candance, the faun asked anxiously, "Where is she, Candance? What's happened?"

Candance did not answer, but she continued to fling her head about, causing her long, thick mane to fly up and spill down again over her neck and shoulders. Tumnus realized something terrible must have transpired without his knowing, and he felt his fear escalate to downright panic. After hurriedly tethering Candance to a nearby tree, where she would be safe and not run off—and be able to give her injured leg a rest—Tumnus jumped on Diallo's back one more time and plunged deep into the forest to try to find Lucy. As the faun guided Diallo down the path, at the horse's utmost speed, he prayed feverishly in his heart that Lucy was all right, when he located her. If any harm had come to that poor girl, he would never forgive himself.

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In Lucy's mind, she was drifting along serenely in a calm, dark lake. The water on her skin felt amazingly warm and soft, and all was peaceful around her. Except there was a burning pain in her right side, as if white-hot flames were licking away at it.

Slowly, but surely, the girl began to recover her senses, and when she reached the point where she could open her eyes, she was astonished and puzzled to discover herself lying in a crumpled heap on the hard ground, at the bottom of a steep gorge, in the Western Wood. There was no one else around, and the wood was completely still and silent. Lucy's left cheek nestled against dirt, and there was indeed a burning sensation in her right side. The rest of her body hurt quite badly, but the pain within her side was undoubtedly the most dominant.

It took Lucy a minute to recall what had just happened. A squirrel had spooked Candance, and the horse had inadvertently hurled her all the way down here, in her panic.

Lucy looked down at herself, suddenly anxious about her dress. Sure enough, her dress was shredded in several areas, and an enormous rip extended across the right side, from her right underarm clear down to her belly, the result of contact with a particularly sharp rock. A wide, dark, appalling stain discolored the luxurious material. _Oh, no, _Lucy thought in dismay.

Susan was going to kill her, for ruining her best dress like this.

Then another thought occurred to Lucy: why should it even matter in the first place? What was she thinking? She had just fallen from a high cliff; she could have been killed, and here she was fretting about her stupid dress!

Lucy tried to rise, but the searing pain in her wounded side forced her back to the ground, and compelled her to lie still. Daring to take a better look at the gash, it dawned on her that the dark stain meant blood. When she touched the damp fabric and looked at her hand, her fingers were stained a shockingly vivid red. Lucy's breath caught in her throat, and nausea churned down in the pit of her stomach. Stars winked before her eyes, and she felt lightheaded. She wanted to cry out for help, but she couldn't speak; and furthermore, she doubted anyone could hear her.

Tumnus was probably miles away by now, and it would likely take some time for the faun to realize she was not with him, and even more time for him to find her.

But as Lucy lay there, feeling helpless and afraid—and faint from the sight of her bleeding, and the bleeding itself—she sensed that someone was coming to her. If she could, she would have gotten up to see who it was, but of course she could only stay where she was and keep still. At first, she thought it might be Tumnus. But had it really been the faun, he would have shouted to her and rushed to her aid in an instant, without hesitating.

Then Lucy gasped out loud, but from neither fright nor physical agony, as a creature of majesty and beauty beyond all description slowly came up to her and stood over her.


	3. Chapter 3

**THE WHITE WONDER**

_I now present chapter 3! Have you guessed who it is that has come to Lucy yet? Have you figured out just who it was she spotted—or thinks she spotted? _

_If you haven't, I'd have to chuck you out the third-story window! (No, not literally!)_

_

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Tumnus and Lucy © C.S. Lewis and Disney/Walden Media_

_Terence and Story © unicorn-skydancer08_

**All rights reserved. **

_**

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Any theft or copying of this story is prohibited. Your honesty is sincerely appreciated. **_

**

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Chapter 3**

The creature before Lucy looked a lot like a horse upon sight, only it was much more graceful, and far more impressive, than any horse she'd ever seen before. It was rather on the lean side, but extremely well built—as if shaped by the hand of a master artisan. Its coat was of the purest white; snow seemed a dull, drab, soapy gray by comparison. Its tail, along with its mane, which fell well below its neck and trailed freely into its face in long, silken locks, looked to be made of molten moonlight. Looking briefly at its feet, Lucy saw that its hooves were solid gold. Cirrus-fine tufts of white hair trailed from each of its ankles. A long, thick, unkempt beard trailed from its lower jaw, and its eyes were as blue and mysterious as the sea.

But what really caught Lucy's eye was the bright, alluring horn that spiraled from the center of the beast's brow.

It was no less than three feet in length, tapering to a deathly sharp point at the end, and it shone a deep, pure gold.

He was a unicorn.

Tears welled in Lucy's eyes at the sight of him. How beautiful he was!

Next to Aslan, the Great Golden Lion, this was the most beautiful, most magnificent creature the girl had ever had the fortune to lay eyes on.

The unicorn never made a sound as he towered over Lucy, but his brilliantly blue eyes looked curious, as if he'd never seen a human this close before. They were also very intense and focused, never once varying to the side—and they emanated gentle yet piercing concern. He appeared to be aware that Lucy was hurt, and it seemed to Lucy that he had come to her to see whether he could be of any help. Lucy would have spoken to him, told him how truly glorious he was, but she feared that he would turn and bolt on the spot if she opened her mouth.

Her feelings of awe and wonder were so great that words failed her altogether, anyhow.

For a time—how much time, Lucy really had no idea; time seemed to have frozen—they remained in utter silence, simply staring at each other.

Then, very slowly and deliberately, the unicorn dipped his magnificent head, lowering the end of his splendid sun-gold horn to the raw, bloody, hideous wound that marred Lucy's side.

Lucy nearly screamed as the acute tip of the horn came in contact with her wound. But then there was a momentary flash of gold, and not only did the pain miraculously vanish, but when the unicorn lifted his head a moment later and quietly stepped back, Lucy examined her side to discover, to her absolute surprise and sheer delight, that the wound was completely gone. Though her dress was still very badly torn, and the fabric still bloodstained, her skin underneath was clean and unblemished. Not even so much as a scar or a scratch remained.

Delighted, Lucy cried joyfully to the unicorn, "You fixed it!"

Instantly she clapped her hand over her mouth, fearing her sudden exclamation would startle him into running away.

But the unicorn stayed where he was, and he even closed his eyes and tipped his head mildly, as though he understood.

Lucy longed to reach out and touch him, to feel his rich coat and his sleek mane for herself. Just the thought alone made her fingers literally tingle.

But no sooner had she begun to stretch her hand toward the creature than thundering hoof beats sounded in the distance, and Tumnus's faint voice cried out, "_Lucy!_"

In that instant, the unicorn whirled around, and was off and gone like a falling star.

"Wait!" Lucy wailed desperately after him. "Don't go!"

But he had already vanished into the trees, even before the words had escaped her tongue. Within two seconds, it was like he was never there to begin with. While Lucy continued to lie there, marveling at what she had just seen, and regretting that the unicorn had taken flight, the hoof beats and Tumnus's frantic shouting grew progressively louder.

Eventually, the faun appeared at the crest of the cliff, on Diallo.

When Tumnus rode up to the rim and discovered Lucy at the bottom of the ravine, stark horror engulfed the faun like a tidal wave, and he hollered out vehemently, "_LUCY!_"

Immediately he yanked Diallo to a rough stop, and he secured the horse into place the second he dismounted.

Then he very cautiously made his way down the steep decline, struggling to keep from falling himself, sending out a shower of rocks and chunks of dirt as he slid and skidded down the slope. It took the faun several minutes to get all the way to the bottom, but once he was there, he rushed to Lucy's side as fast as he could, thinking he would never reach her quickly enough.

He was practically beside himself as he threw himself to his knees, and gathered Lucy into his arms. "Oh, Lucy!" he gasped, tears streaming profusely down his face as he cradled the fallen girl in his soft, furry lap, pressing her head fervently to his heaving breast. "Lucy—speak to me. Are you all right? Oh, please be all right, Lucy, _please!_"

"I'm all right, Mr. Tumnus," Lucy assured her companion softly. "I'm all right."

With a strangled sob of relief and gratitude, all Tumnus could do was hug her. He clasped Lucy's body fiercely against his own, nearly crushing her, and Lucy could feel the warm wetness of his tears as the faun wept freely into her neck. She made no protest to this, but willingly returned her beloved friend's passionate embrace. Even after Tumnus's tears had receded, and his ragged breathing had eased to some extent, he continued to cleave to Lucy, never wanting to let the girl go for even a second. Lucy buried her head under his unshaven chin, inhaling the familiar cinnamon-like smell of him, while he stroked her and fondled her tangled hair with his exceedingly gentle hands, asking her at least a dozen more times if she was truly all right.

Drawing back at some point and lifting Lucy's chin so that she was looking him in the face, Tumnus breathed, "Oh, Lucy, what _happened?_ How did you end up down here?"

Lucy explained what had happened earlier with Candance, and when Tumnus looked down and saw the girl's blood-spattered gown, he almost went hysterical.

But when he pulled back the shredded cloth a bit to inspect Lucy's wound, he was shocked to see that there _was_ no wound. Her skin was soft, smooth, and perfect. When Tumnus pressed down on Lucy's side, the girl did not wail in pain, nor so much as flinch. "H-How…" the flabbergasted faun stammered. "How did _this _happen?"

Now Lucy told him of the unicorn that came to her, and healed her.

"A unicorn?" Tumnus could scarcely believe his ears. "You saw a _unicorn?_"

"Of course, I did," Lucy insisted. "It was as real as you, or I." She smiled. "How else would you explain my condition, Mr. Tumnus?"

And then her smile quickly faded from her face. "Had it not been for the unicorn, I would still be in dreadful pain at this time."

Truth be told, the little girl still smarted considerably, from the nasty blows she'd received from her nasty fall.

But at least the unicorn had removed the greater part of the pain. He might have even saved her life. If it wasn't for the stallion, Lucy most likely would have gone into a coma from the loss of blood by the time Tumnus tracked her down. She probably would have even bled to death. Whether or not there really had been a unicorn, whether or not this was indeed a unicorn's doing, Tumnus knew not. All the faun cared about, the one thing that truly mattered, was that Lucy was here with him—alive, and in one piece. "Oh, Lucy," he sighed, wrapping her in his arms once again, burying his face in her red-gold hair and closing his eyes in earnest, "I'm just glad you're safe. If anything happened to you, I don't know what I would do."

They remained in that spot for a long time, before Tumnus finally rose to his hooves, bringing Lucy up gently with him.

"Come on," he told her softly, "let's get you home."


	4. Chapter 4

**THE WHITE WONDER**

_And now we proceed to chapter 4! This kind of foreshadows what the remainder of my story is like. And other characters from Narnia are featured in this, I promise. Peter's role will actually rise significantly in this one. I always did like Peter, especially William Moseley's portrayal of him. He's especially handsome and appealing in Prince Caspian—though I did find the character just a tad bratty. _

_

* * *

Characters (excluding Terence) © C.S. Lewis and Disney/Walden Media_

_Terence © unicorn-skydancer08_

_Story © unicorn-skydancer08_

**All rights reserved. **

_**Any theft or copying of this story is prohibited. Your honesty is sincerely appreciated. **_

**

* * *

Chapter 4**

"Peter, have you seen Lucy?" Queen Susan the Gentle, Lady of the Southern Sun, inquired of her eldest brother, at Castle Cair Paravel.

High King Peter the Magnificent, Lord of the Northern Sky, who at that time was poring over a scroll of parchment at his desk in his royal quarters, looked up at his sister in bewilderment. "I thought she was with you, Susan."

"She was—but now she's gone," said Susan, "and I can't find her anywhere. Mr. Tumnus is nowhere to be found, either."

Peter let his scroll automatically roll itself up again as he propelled himself to his feet. "You mean to say our sister has gone missing?" the young monarch demanded.

The other young monarch gave an ignorant shrug of her shoulders. "It would appear that way, Peter." She neither looked nor sounded remotely pleased about it.

"Have you searched the castle thoroughly?"

"From top to bottom. I even asked the servants where Lucy could be. But no one whom I questioned has the slightest clue as to her whereabouts."

Peter squared off his shoulders. "Very well, then," he said coolly, making his way briskly out of the room, brushing against Susan as he did so, "I shall deal with this at once."

Susan pursued her brother down the corridor. "And just how are you going to deal with this, Peter?" she queried. "What exactly do you intend to do?"

"I'm going to organize a search party," Peter answered, without glancing back at her. "I'm going to rally our best and ablest of soldiers and send them out to comb all the land of Narnia, and I will not rest until—" But before the king could complete his sentence, Lucy and Tumnus suddenly appeared around a curve in the hall, and almost collided with them.

Immediately, everyone froze on the spot.

"Oh!" Lucy gasped, upon seeing her brother and sister.

"King Peter!" said Tumnus, equally taken aback. "Queen Susan—er, what a…pleasant surprise." The faun's long ears quirked downward slightly in his chagrin, and his hooves clicked on the marble floor as he shifted his weight uncomfortably from leg to leg.

"Hello, Mr. Tumnus," said Peter formally. But his eyes were focused upon his sister.

"Lucy, _there_ you are!" Susan said, as if scolding a runaway puppy. "Where on earth have you been all this time? You had me looking everywhere for you! Peter was just about to send out a search party to track you down!" Now taking notice of her sister's tattered gown, the older girl's eyes widened to no less than three times their size, and she exclaimed to high heaven, "_And what in the name of Narnia have you done to your good dress?!_"

Lucy's face felt fiery hot, and she knew she was blushing.

"Er…well…I…I…" she faltered, at a loss for words.

"Would you be so kind as to explain yourself, young lady?" Peter demanded, crossing his arms together in front of his broad chest and arching one eyebrow over the other.

Susan looked like she was about to have a heart attack on the spot.

Lucy peered up at Tumnus, who looked back at her and told her very quietly, "I think you better tell them, Lucy. Might as well get it over with now." If there was one thing Tumnus had learned over the years, one moral that the faun had attained, it was that you must face the storm dead on, and accept responsibility for your actions. It would be better to make a clean breast of it and suffer the consequences right then and there, than to withhold the truth and suffer penalties of a far worse nature later on.

Knowing the faun was right, and knowing that Tumnus would be there to take share in the blame, Lucy sighed and resignedly proceeded to tell Peter and Susan what they needed to know. She explained how she had felt the urge to take time out from her daily routines as queen, and how she and Tumnus had gone riding in the forest together.

When she told of how she'd gotten hurt when Candance unconsciously pitched her down the cliff, Peter demanded to know how it was that she wasn't hurt as worse as she ought to have been, and now Lucy told of the unicorn that had helped her.

"A unicorn?" This instantly caught Peter's attention, like a fish caught on a hook. "Did you say a unicorn?"

Lucy nodded. "It was the most wonderful, most magical thing I'd ever seen in all my life, next to seeing Aslan for the first time," she said. A reminiscent gleam shone in her eyes, and her voice grew soft and dreamlike. "His coat was so _white_…I never saw snow as white as that before. His horn was as brilliant as solid gold. And his eyes were so blue, so intense…I have never seen such eyes." The last words emerged barely louder than a whisper.

"What makes you think this unicorn was a 'he'?" Tumnus questioned.

"Well, he had a beard, Mr. Tumnus. I never heard of a girl unicorn with a beard, have you?"

"Lucy, you would do very well to stop inventing such wild stories," Susan reproached her.

"But I'm _not _inventing, Susan," Lucy protested. "I really _did_ see a unicorn, and he really _did _heal me. How else would you explain this?" She lifted the bloodied flap of her dress to show her sister and brother the intact flesh underneath.

"I wouldn't call that mere coincidence," Tumnus had to admit.

Peter inquired, "You saw this unicorn of whom Lucy speaks, I presume, Mr. Tumnus?"

Tumnus hesitated briefly before answering quietly, "Well…no."

"The unicorn was already gone by the time Mr. Tumnus showed up," said Lucy, and the others sensed a note of bitterness in her tone—not anger or resentment; only a sad disappointment, as though a priceless treasure had slipped away from her. "He was far too quick for me to follow him, and I don't know where in all the world he can be now."

Susan just shook her head, but Peter, though he didn't reveal it outwardly, was intrigued by the information of this creature. Unicorns were very rarely seen in Narnia, but it wasn't totally unusual for one to appear here and there on occasion. Not so long ago, before becoming king of Narnia, Peter had even owned a unicorn: a lovely white mare named Athena, after the legendary Goddess of Wisdom. She was as strong and brave as she was beautiful, with a true heart, and Peter grew very fond of her very quickly.

Alas, Athena had been slain in the Battle of Beruna, when Peter fought against the White Witch. Ginarrbrik, Jadis's right-hand dwarf, had shot the unicorn in the side with an arrow, and the mare perished from her wound not long after. She died peacefully within Peter's arms, right on the battlefield. Peter had never been quite the same since that tragic time.

For a long time, no one moved or said anything. Utter silence filled the whole hall.

Finally, Peter heaved out a deep sigh, and he closed his eyes and tilted his head at Tumnus and Lucy, murmuring quietly, "You have my leave to go." As he turned to leave himself, he went on, "Go on up to your room and change your clothes, Lucy, and I shall see you and Mr. Tumnus later on tonight, at supper." And then he walked away without another word.

Susan continued to glare coldly at Lucy, but all she said to her sister was, "Don't ever do that again, Lucy. Don't ever sneak off like that again." With that, the elder girl spun around on her heel and flounced off without a backward glance, leaving Tumnus and Lucy alone together.

"Well," said Tumnus at length, when both Peter and Susan were out of sight and earshot, "that went—reasonably well. Certainly could have been worse."

Lucy bowed her head, and sighed immensely. She might have escaped punishment this one time…but the girl had a sinking feeling her siblings were going to keep an even closer watch on her after this. She would probably never be allowed to do anything, go anywhere outside the castle—or even within the castle—without some escort from this time on. The thought was not particularly appealing. But what really disappointed Lucy, what brought her spirits down more than all else, was knowing that she would probably never see that unicorn again. She didn't know where he came from, or whether he even made his home in Narnia. She didn't even know the beast's name, if he had one.

_Well, _she thought ruefully, _it was nice while it lasted._


	5. Chapter 5

**THE WHITE WONDER**

_Now, we proceed with chapter 5! Whoo-wee, I've been on a real roll these past couple of days! The ideas just keep coming, and coming, and coming. Ah, well, as long as they're coming, I may as well take advantage of them. _

_Oh, and I sincerely apologize in advance to anyone who may be offended that I killed off the white unicorn seen in the original _The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe_ movie. I hope the poor creature survived as much as the next person, being as devoted to unicorns as I am (hence my username). Truth is, they never actually showed whether or not the unicorn indeed made it, after Ginarrbrik shot it down. You saw it struggle for a short time on the ground, and then that was it. You never saw the beast again afterward. I just thought it would be fitting for this story if the unicorn had not lived through the battle. It explains Peter's motives, which will be revealed as the story unfurls. _

_

* * *

Characters (excluding Terence) © C.S. Lewis and Disney/Walden Media_

_Terence © unicorn-skydancer08_

_Story © unicorn-skydancer08_

**All rights reserved. **

_**Any theft or copying of this story is prohibited. Your honesty is sincerely appreciated. **_

**

* * *

Chapter 5**

As the days passed, Lucy found she couldn't stop fantasizing about that unicorn. She made no further mention of the enchanting white creature to anyone at Cair Paravel, not even Tumnus. But the unicorn haunted the girl's imagination continually, and she often awoke crying from dreams of him. None of the dreams she had were particularly bad ones, none of them were frightening; but they were so sweet and so precious that Lucy hated to wake from them, and it was only in her dreams that she could ever truly be with the unicorn.

In the meantime, Susan kept a more vigilant eye on her sister, as Lucy had expected she would. Peter, surprisingly, wasn't nearly half as authoritative as Susan was. In fact, he hardly seemed concerned about where Lucy went or what she did with herself at all. Not that he didn't care about his sister's safety, of course; he always made sure to advise Lucy to be careful, but a casual word of admonition was about as far as it went. Lucy thought her brother would act far more strictly than this, after she had pulled a stunt like that. It wasn't that she _wanted _Peter to hover over her like a hawk, and dominate her every waking moment—but this seemed rather out of character, for him.

Peter clearly had other pressing matters on his mind.

Like Lucy, the High King found he couldn't stop thinking about the unicorn that his sister had allegedly seen in the woods. He wondered to himself whether the unicorn still roamed out there in the rough country, if it was at all possible to track this creature down.

Above all else, Peter thought of Athena, and how dear she had been to his heart, and how empty and trivial his life seemed without her.

He had not known the mare for long, but losing her was like having someone cut his heart out and leave his soul to bleed. When she'd drawn her last breath in his arms, that fateful day in Beruna, it was like all time had frozen; and no other individual in the world existed, save for Peter and the dead beauty in his lap. Though Lucy had attempted to heal the unicorn with her special fireflower potion, it was already too late. The unicorn was beyond even the juice's healing power to redeem. Even after a ruby drop had been poured between her lips, they remained still and untouched with breath, and her flesh remained cool to the touch. Even when Peter besought Aslan to revive her, the Great Lion looked on with inexpressible sorrow and empathy, but only told Peter to let the unicorn depart this life in peace. While the Great Lion certainly maintained power over death, and could have very easily brought Athena back in that instant if he wished it, he knew it would be unwise to forestall death at every turn. Many a time, it was best to simply let some creatures go, where they would be freed from their earthly shackles, and where a glorious world awaited them on the other side.

This made sense to Peter, but the boy still felt a sickening injustice at the loss of his beloved Athena. When he lost her, he believed he would literally die from the agony that beset him.

These days, the High King used a common black mount named Ares to get around. While Ares was a splendid steed, and obeyed Peter's every command docilely, he was not Athena. He did not maintain the level of warmth and devotion that the unicorn had, and…well, it just wasn't the same, that was the best way Peter could put it.

Now, at the prospect of another unicorn roaming in Narnia, a small flame began to ignite within the inmost recess of Peter's barren heart.

And every day, that tiny flame slowly but progressively began to strengthen.

Peter knew that unicorn of whom Lucy spoke, assuming the beast truly existed, was not Athena. Nor could it ever truly be Athena. But, maybe…just maybe…

* * *

Imagine Lucy's surprise and delight when, while in the middle of her morning tea with Tumnus on one of the sunlit balconies, Peter approached them out of the clear blue and said to her, "Say, Lucy, how would you like to try to find that unicorn you told us about before?"

Upon hearing this, Lucy spat her tea right back into her cup at once. Tumnus, at the same time, inadvertently choked on a biscuit and had to take a swig from his own cup.

Wiping her mouth on the back of her wrist, Lucy sputtered, "Wh-_what?_"

"What do you mean, my lord?" questioned Tumnus, when he could speak properly again.

"I mean going out with a small party, and we track that unicorn down," Peter elucidated. He turned toward his sister again. "What do you say, Lu?"

"Really?" Lucy could hardly believe what she was hearing. "You mean it, Peter?"

"Why not?" he said, managing a smile. "Even if we don't find anything, it would still be a perfect opportunity for us to be together, and explore more of the land which we govern. And if we do come across the beast…well, so much the better."

"Are you serious about this, sir Peter?" Tumnus queried. "I mean—if you'll pardon my saying so—how would we even know where to look? And, suppose we did find the beast. What ought we to do, then? The beast would be much too swift and far too strong for us."

"I have been brushing up on unicorns lately, Mr. Tumnus, and I believe I maintain a fairly good idea as to their nature, and how to catch them."

Tumnus just shook his head at this. Not everything about a creature's nature could be found within books and writings alone, the faun knew.

"But, we won't hurt the unicorn," Lucy hinted.

"Hurt him?" Peter shook his head adamantly. "No, no, certainly not! I only wish to look at him, is all…to know him for myself. A unicorn isn't something you see every day in Narnia, after all. And _you_ want to see him again, don't you, Lu?"

The girl's face now positively glowed. "Oh, yes!" she cried jubilantly. "Yes, I most certainly would!" Her heart suddenly lighter than it had been in days, she didn't hesitate to launch herself to her feet, very nearly sending the contents of her tea scattering as she did so.

She hurried swiftly into the castle to get ready, calling to her brother, "Oh, thank you, Peter!"

And then, as if on second thought, as if realizing she could do better than that, Lucy paused, did an about-face, and fled back to Peter and squeezed him around the middle, with all the strength and might she could muster, until she quite took his breath away—literally.

When she had gone into Cair Paravel, Peter turned to Tumnus and offered, "Would you care to accompany us on this little trip, Mr. Tumnus?"

Tumnus had to admit, he _was_ rather curious about this unicorn, and very much wanted to see the creature for himself. The expedition might be worth a try, at the very least. And if they weren't going to slay the creature, or bring any harm upon it, then Tumnus figured it ought to be all right. Furthermore, this would give the faun an opportunity to be with Lucy.

So, Tumnus dipped his head at Peter and answered civilly, "I would be honored, my lord."

Then he, too, arose and disappeared into the castle to prepare himself for the journey.

Peter then went to seek out Oreius, the leader of Cair Paravel's cavalry. When at last he found the great black centaur, his first words to him were: "Oreius, fetch me a golden bridle."


	6. Chapter 6

**THE WHITE WONDER**

_My sincerest apologies to you, my devoted readers, for taking so ridiculously long with this story. It was yet another typical struggle with writer's block. It's one of the curses of being a writer. Oftentimes, you just sit there and sit there and sit there…and you got nothing. Then, one day, when you least expect it, BOOM! It comes up and hits you right smack in the face. But don't you worry; I haven't given up on a story yet! This chapter here is quite short, but a short chapter is better than no chapter at all, right? _

_

* * *

Characters (excluding Terence) © C.S. Lewis and Disney/Walden Media_

_Terence © unicorn-skydancer08_

_Story © unicorn-skydancer08_

**All rights reserved. **

_**Any theft or copying of this story is prohibited. Your honesty is sincerely appreciated. **_

**

* * *

Chapter 6**

Susan clearly thought this pursuit of the so-called unicorn was just a big waste of time, but she went with Peter and Lucy and Tumnus anyway as they set out; partly because she didn't want to be left at Cair Paravel by herself, with nothing better to do. Edmund had opted to join in as well, but with a great deal more enthusiasm and gusto, as he was immensely fascinated by the prospect of seeing a real, living unicorn—particularly a unicorn that had helped his younger sister. Oreius, of course, accompanied the four young monarchs on the journey, as did a group of fauns, satyrs, centaurs, and dwarves, all of them fully armored and well equipped—just in case they stumbled into any danger along the way.

A couple of dogs tagged along as well, and a leopard.

The rest of their cavalry remained behind, to guard the castle while the hunting party was gone.

Lucy rode behind Tumnus on Diallo—as Candance was still recovering from her sprained foreleg; and, quite frankly, Lucy wasn't ready to get back on her mare yet—and, as always, Edmund rode on Phillip while Peter rode on Ares. Susan mounted a tall, lanky sorrel steed with snowy stockings and a white streak on his face, christened as Landon.

Lucy's spirits were positively soaring as they rode through the trees together, with the dogs and the leopard loping eagerly ahead of them, and Oreius and their men trailing behind them. Her bright brown eyes were all but aglow, her cheeks flushed the brightest pink; even her hair seemed gay and lively, streaming and billowing behind her shoulders in the cool, dancing breeze. She was so excited, she could hardly bring herself to sit still behind Tumnus.

Peter, meanwhile, had the special golden bridle he had requested of Oreius stored safely away in one of his saddlebags. The young king had not mentioned the bridle to Lucy, or to Tumnus, or to anyone else. Nor did he plan to reveal, at least right away, just what he intended to do with that bridle. According to legend, the only real way to capture a unicorn was with a bridle fashioned out of the purest gold. A golden bridle had more power and influence over a unicorn than any rope or chain, and was far more effective than any trap you could possibly lay out. While the bridle never caused the unicorn physical harm (no more than a plain, ordinary bridle harmed a common horse), once it was fixed in place, the unicorn was completely bound to the owner's will. From the moment the bridle was slipped over the unicorn's head, the beast was reduced to a state of complete compliance and submission, making it as docile as a lamb.

Had Lucy known what her brother's true motive for going after that unicorn was, she might not have been so eager to go along with this so-called "outing".

"Can it be true?" one of the faun soldiers questioned to his comrades, at one point during the merry jaunt. "Could this unicorn of whom Queen Lucy spoke truly exist?"

Hearing this, Oreius replied, "A unicorn in Narnia is about as common as the White Stag, or even our lord Aslan himself. But, it wouldn't surprise me completely if we ever chanced upon the beast. Whether Queen Lucy truly saw what she claims she saw, whether this unicorn truly lives in the flesh, I cannot say for certain. But, unicorn or not, this kind of activity is good for our young queen's spirits, as you men can plainly see. So, we'll humor her."

"At any rate, this will help our lords and ladies become more familiar with the land," piped up a satyr, "which will be a tremendous benefit to them, in the long run."

"Besides," added one of the dwarves, "we could all do with the fresh air, and the exercise."

"Easy for _you_ to say," another dwarf replied huffily, as he puffed up behind the rest of the lot.

Had any of them bothered to look back while they were engaged in this conversation, they might have noticed the white speck in the trees…or the tall, elegant silhouette that glided smoothly over the forest floor after them, like a feather that glides over the water in a tranquil stream.


	7. Chapter 7

**THE WHITE WONDER**

_Thank heaven it didn't take me as long to write this chapter as the last one had been. It's amazing how even short, simple chapters can take an eternity to apply to paper. Sometimes, I'm lucky to get more than two words down. But anyway, the important thing is that this story has been updated. This chapter's still rather short, but definitely longer than the previous one. Enjoy, and thank you for taking the time to read this. I especially thank you for the sweet reviews. They keep me and these stories going! _

_

* * *

Characters (excluding Terence) © C.S. Lewis and Disney/Walden Media_

_Terence © unicorn-skydancer08_

_Story © unicorn-skydancer08_

**All rights reserved. **

_**Any theft or copying of this story is prohibited. Your honesty is sincerely appreciated. **_

**

* * *

Chapter 7**

After many long hours of hard riding, and when their endeavors to find the unicorn proved to be fruitless, Oreius insisted they all take a rest. Though the unicorn they sought was much closer than any of them realized, for some reason the creature managed to move so stealthily and clandestinely through the thick, autumn-tinged forest that not even Oreius, with his sharp ears and powerful instincts, knew of his presence—though Lucy could somehow feel, deep within her heart, that they were not alone.

Peter was determined to press on, but, as it soon became obvious, the horses were getting exhausted, as were the rest of them.

In addition to that, the day was growing fiercely hot, and none of them had yet had food or drink since early that morning. What they needed more than anything else at this time was to stop, and refresh themselves. So, though Peter was reluctant to end the chase, however temporarily, they reined their horses to a halt, and Tumnus gently helped Lucy down from Diallo's back. Lucy smiled at her sweet friend as he lifted her into his strong, gentle arms and carried her carefully over to a nearby tree, where the shade was deep and cool.

Edmund helped the rest of the men unload several large packs of food, while Susan helped spread out some of the saddle blankets on the grass for a picnic lunch. In no time, they were all sitting and relaxing together in the sweetly cool shade—soldiers included—and enjoying a very hearty lunch, while the horses nibbled contentedly on the grass; though occasionally Lucy and Edmund and Tumnus and even Susan slipped the horses a piece of bread, or a bit of apple, or something else good.

When they had all eaten as much as they could, and their empty stomachs had been satisfied and their tongues were cooled with fresh water, or sweet wine that they had brought along with them, many of the men settled down for a nap, as the heavy meal proved to have made them quite drowsy. Even Oreius, who always seemed tireless and unflagging, put his hooves up and his head down for forty winks, or so he promised. The horses all shifted their weight and dipped their heads as well, so that their muzzles nearly brushed the ground. Even Susan and Edmund admitted they could do with a bit of sleep themselves, and Peter was already sound asleep even before they were. Next to Oreius, Tumnus sat in a stooped position, with his elbows on his furry haunches and his head buried in his hands; whether asleep or not, it was impossible to be sure. Soon, everyone in the grove was sleeping peacefully…everyone, that is, except for Lucy.

Lucy, who felt wide-awake, and whose nerves were jangling and jittery, decided to set out on her own.

Perhaps, the girl thought, being by yourself was the only way you could attract a unicorn's company. She knew unicorns were extremely wary creatures; they tended to avoid large crowds, and only came to those whom they were absolutely sure meant them no harm. Looking around at the others, Lucy figured that now would likely be the best time to leave. They were asleep, after all, and wouldn't even know she was gone.

With luck, they would sleep for a long time.

And so, without making a sound—or, at least, making her best efforts to make as little noise as possible—Lucy stood and crept cautiously past Tumnus, her siblings, the soldiers, and the horses. No one stirred or looked up or opened their eyes as she passed by, though one dwarf gave a considerable snort that nearly made the girl jump out of her skin. And the horses hardly raised their heads as Lucy slipped by them. Even the dogs and the leopard took no notice of the little queen, and only slept all the more soundly, their noses resting on their front paws. They must have been more tired than even they themselves realized, Lucy thought.

She felt naughty, sneaking off like this—and yet it was oddly thrilling at the same time.

Hopefully, she would be able to find that unicorn, and get back to the others before they awoke.

When she was a good distance from her companions, she wandered about the wood for a time, wondering how she was going to get that unicorn to come to her, assuming the beast was lurking about. He had to be around here somewhere, she was sure of it. She tried to recall what she had done last time to attract his attention. She certainly recalled getting herself hurt, but she also recalled singing to herself, while Tumnus soaked in the river, and the unicorn had been right there.

Maybe that was one way to attract a unicorn—through song.

Lucy also remembered the unicorn had come to her when she least expected it. Perhaps, if she acted as though nothing was there, and pretended to mind her own affairs, the unicorn would come. At any rate, it was worth a try. What did she have to lose?

So, Lucy went to a small stream that bubbled over with clean, pure water. She knelt, and started gathering some water lilies together, while humming a gentle lullaby that Tumnus often sang to her to help her go to sleep at night. A warm feeling filled her as she recalled all the times that Tumnus knelt at her bedside, or else sat on the edge of her mattress with her hand in his, stroking her with his rough yet exceedingly gentle fingers, and crooning to her in his charming voice.

She also remembered how sometimes he would take out his special flute, the double-pronged one fashioned out of gleaming mahogany, and play for her. Even now, the hypnotic music that flowed whenever Tumnus played that flute rang in Lucy's ears, and just thinking about it nearly lulled her into that old trance.

While Lucy was absorbed in these thoughts, and as she collected water lilies and sang absentmindedly to the autumn air, she was unaware that something was approaching her from behind. There was a flash of pure white, a gleam of precious silver, and golden hooves that could cross a whole field of flowers without bending so much as a petal moved daintily over the forest moss. It wasn't until a considerable-sized shadow drifted over Lucy and eclipsed her completely that her singing ceased; and when she raised her head and looked up, who stood above her but a unicorn? And not just any unicorn, but _the _unicorn himself. Lucy would know him anywhere, and her heart all but stopped beating at the sight of him.

He was as gorgeous as she remembered him. He stood as tall and imposing as ever, and the sun caught on his magnificent horn, and the sight brought a sharp sting of tears to Lucy's eyes. For one brief, intense moment, Lucy feared to awake from this lovely dream. She dared not move or make a sound, lest she wake up to find herself in her bed in her room at Cair Paravel, and have the crushing loneliness descend upon her yet again.

But this was no dream. It was the truth. The unicorn was truly there, in the living flesh, as real as Lucy was herself.

He had come to her again, just as she had hoped and dreamed and prayed he would!

Oh, Lucy thought joyously, this was wonderful! Just too wonderful beyond words to describe. She couldn't believe it. She saw it…but she couldn't believe it.

Several long minutes of silence passed between the two of them, though Lucy lost all sense of time, in the unicorn's presence. As she marveled at the white stallion's glory and splendor, his lips presently began to move, and he spoke to her in a voice that was youthful and strong, and as clear as a bell, taking the child by complete and utter surprise: "Well, are you just going to sit there and goggle at me all day long, little girl, or have you got anything that is actually worth talking about?"


	8. Chapter 8

**THE WHITE WONDER**

_Finally, I got chapter 8 up. Again, this didn't turn out nearly as long as I would have liked, but oh well. I still feel it's written quite nicely. And quality is better than quantity, right? I, for one, would rather read a short, tidy story that the author took time to write, than a long, sloppy story that was randomly slapped together. _

_As painfully slow as this story is, I love how it's turned out so far. It makes you feel like you're in a movie, doesn't it? And I thought it would be interesting to have a talking unicorn, especially a unicorn with an accent. I can almost hear James McAvoy's voice, or even Billy Boyd's voice (he plays Pippin in Lord of the Rings, remember?) coming from Terence as he's speaking. _

_

* * *

Tumnus and Lucy © C.S. Lewis and Disney/Walden Media_

_Terence and Story © unicorn-skydancer08_

**All rights reserved. **

_**

* * *

Any theft or copying of this story is prohibited. Your honesty is sincerely appreciated. **_

**

* * *

**

**Chapter 8**

Hearing the unicorn actually speak to her outright, exactly as if he were human himself, Lucy jumped a mile. "You—you can talk?" the girl gasped, her eyes nearly popping out of her head.

"Oh, yes," said the white stallion matter-of-factly. "Quite well, really."

Lucy stared at his mouth, impressed to see it open and close, forming genuine words.

For a unicorn, he sounded amazingly young. From the tone and pitch of his voice, it was almost like a young man speaking to her, or even a teenager. Lucy also noticed that he spoke with an accent. It was very similar to the one Tumnus maintained—only the unicorn's accent was a little richer than the faun's, with a slightly more prominent twang.

"What's the matter?" the unicorn asked her at length. "Haven't you ever heard a unicorn talk before?"

Shaking her head slightly to snap herself out of it, Lucy said meekly, "Er…no. Not really."

After another minute or so, the unicorn extended one of his long, slender white legs, and began to paw leisurely at the mossy ground with one of his shining forehooves.

"So, tell me," he said at length, "what's a small, innocent child like yourself doing here, in this part of the woods?"

Then, without even waiting for Lucy to answer, he said, "Wait, don't tell me. Let me guess. You've come all the way out here with your little band to seek me out, haven't you?"

Lucy knitted her brows at him. "Now, how did you know that?"

"Oh, I've seen it happen before," he replied, with a somewhat amused roll of his bright sapphire eyes. "Women see me up close for one single minute, and they spend their whole lives trying to find me again. It happens with just about every unicorn. People drool and mope and sigh over us, and they'll go to any lengths to track us down. It's flattering, if somewhat disturbing."

Lucy couldn't say she entirely disagreed. She knew she, herself, would be a little creeped out if everyone eyeballed her as if she were on display in a zoo, or circus.

Yet the beast's beauty was so exquisite, it was hard to not stare at him. Every muscle in his body was well defined beneath his flawless white coat, and he stood with such poise, holding himself with an airy grace that common horses never had. His mane looked so rich and so soft, Lucy would have loved to run her fingers through it, and, if the unicorn let her, braid it and weave flowers into it. His horn alone had to be more valuable than all the gold in Calormen and all the jewels in Archenland combined.

At length, the unicorn turned and started walking, as light on his feet as a soap bubble. Terrified that he would leave her, Lucy sprang immediately to her own feet and hurried after him. To her great relief, the unicorn waited for her, and when they walked together, side by side, he walked very slowly so that she would be able to keep up.

Lucy could well imagine that no horse could ever outrun him, not even Phillip. Beyond that, she marveled at the way he walked.

He walked as if the very earth and sky belonged to him, and Lucy was convinced he could easily pass through the forest blindfolded, without tripping or bumping into anything.

Presently, she started to say, "Erm, Mr. Unicorn, sir…"

"Whoa, whoa, sweetie," he abruptly cut in, drawing to a prompt halt and regarding her with his limpid blue eyes, "excuse me, but I do have a name, you know."

"Really?" She stared at him in surprise. "You do?"

"Of course," he replied, with a noticeable hint of sarcasm. "Unicorns are perfectly entitled to individual names like everyone else, aren't they?"

"Yes," Lucy admitted, "I suppose you're right. What is your name, then?" Remembering her manners, she added politely, "Please?"

"I thought you'd never ask, my dear." Tipping his horn respectfully at her, the stallion declared, "My name is Terence."

"Pleased to meet you, Mr. Terence! My name is Lucy."

"Lucy, eh?" Terence rolled the name around thoughtfully on his tongue, as if to taste it. "Bit of a peculiar name, if you ask me."

He was quiet for only a second before adding on, "But, if that's what they call you, then that is how I shall address you from here on." Lucy smiled up at him, and he smiled back. She could tell it was a smile from the way his eyes crinkled slightly at the corners, as well as from the way they sparkled at her, like the pair of sapphires they resembled.

The sight sent a rush of pleasant warmth sweeping through Lucy's whole body, and the girl knew then and there that she'd made a new friend.

* * *

At that time, Tumnus had just awoken from his little doze. Yawning faintly, the faun stretched out his limbs, then bent his head and kneaded his face.

When he looked up from his hands a minute later, he glanced jadedly around the wooded area to see that everyone else still slept soundly.

He saw Susan curled up like a cat on one of the blankets, with her head nestled against a folded pack and her hands tucked demurely under her cheek. He also noticed Edmund huddled up against Peter, with his own head against the older boy's shoulder. Behind the faun, Oreius rested against the thick trunk of a tree, his eyes closed. The horses stood where they were tethered, with their noses brushing the grass. The dogs and the leopard were curled into snug balls, and all around, every last one of the soldiers was lost in a deep stupor. Some of them, like Tumnus, had their heads buried in their hands; others leaned upon their weapons, or slumped against one another, or simply lay flat, making the earth their bed.

But Lucy was nowhere to be seen. This jolted Tumnus wide-awake.

At first he panicked, but luckily he stopped himself from waking the others by yelling out Lucy's name. Then the faun inwardly reminded himself that he was to remain calm.

These situations did not call for losing your head, and stirring up a riot.

Perhaps Lucy had simply wandered off somewhere. She couldn't have gone far. Tumnus decided the best thing to do was look for the girl himself, before the rest of their company woke up. So, the faun rose carefully to his hooves, and, praying that the others would sleep long enough, and that Lucy was safe, wherever she was, secretly stole away into the trees.


	9. Chapter 9

**THE WHITE WONDER**

_So, you thought I gave up on this story, did ya? Well, I was kinda worried myself for a while. Hard to believe it's been over a year since I first posted this, and I'm not even half-done! Oh, well, some stories just take longer to write than others, I suppose. Some ideas simply come quicker. It took C.S. Lewis more than six years to write the Narnia series, it took Anna Sewell nearly seven years to write "Black Beauty", it took J.K. Rowling seventeen years to write "Harry Potter", and it took Bruce Coville almost twenty years to write "The Unicorn Chronicles"._

_

* * *

Tumnus and Lucy (and Others) © C.S. Lewis and Disney/Walden Media_

_Terence and Story © unicorn-skydancer08_

**All rights reserved. **

_**

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Any theft or copying of this story is prohibited. Your honesty is sincerely appreciated. **_

**

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**

**Chapter 9  
**

Shortly after Tumnus slipped away, Oreius began to come around himself. With a slight groan, the centaur pushed himself upright. He put his hand over his bleary eyes and rubbed his unshaven face wearily. He felt like he had been asleep for hours, and yet it seemed he'd barely slept at all to begin with. Plus, he could feel a hint of a headache coming on.

_Perhaps I'd had a little too much wine,_ the centaur thought.

When he took his hand away, he glanced around at the rest of the group. Doing a brief mental count, he realized there were too few of them present. Tumnus, for one, appeared to have vanished, and Lucy was nowhere to be seen, either. The absence of his queen was what fully snapped Oreius to his senses. Without hesitation, he turned to Peter, who lay dead to the world.

"Your Majesty!" he urged, grabbing the boy's shoulder and shaking him vigorously. "Sire, wake up!"

Peter moaned softly, but did not open his eyes.

Oreius shook the boy harder, and spoke louder. "Arise, my lord!"

"Five more minutes…" Peter muttered thickly in reply.

"PETER!" Oreius now all but bellowed into his ear.

That got him.

Peter gave such a terrific start that Edmund was jolted wide-awake, and Oreius's voice roused all of the others as well, including the horses.

"Huh—what?" one of the faun soldiers gasped, his eyes darting rapidly about, every which way. "What happened?!"

"Where's the fire?" asked one of the dwarves stupidly.

Susan sat bolt upright, her hand seizing her breast as if she were suffering a heart attack.

When everyone had a chance to settle down, when they realized there was no danger, all eyes turned accusingly to Oreius.

"Oreius—what is the meaning of this?" Edmund demanded.

"Must you always be so blasted loud?" said Peter irritably, sticking his finger into the ear Oreius had shouted into and wiggling it around slightly; he was amazed he hadn't gone totally deaf.

"And I was just in the middle of a perfect dream, too," said Susan sullenly.

"You have a voice loud enough to waken the dead, Oreius," one of the other fauns complained.

"Forgive me," Oreius apologized, speaking mainly to Peter. "I am truly sorry to wake you like this, Sire, but this is an urgent matter. Your sister has gone missing."

When everyone noticed Lucy's absence for themselves, Susan clapped a hand to her forehead in dismay and groaned, "Oh, _no!_"

"You don't suppose something could have happened to her?" Edmund asked, sounding alarmed.

"Either that," spoke up Phillip, from his spot among the horses, "or she must have wandered off while we were sleeping."

Inwardly, everyone berated themselves, most especially the soldiers.

How could they have been so careless? At least _one _of them ought to have been keeping watch!

"Let's not panic," said Peter, even though his own heart was racing rapidly, and he felt slightly sick to his stomach. "All we have to do is search the forest. Lucy can't be that far."

As the troupe set out together, and began to comb the trees, Susan could feel red-hot anger smoldering within her, in addition to worry. She would have liked nothing more at that moment than to take her sister by the ear, and drag the insolent girl all the way back to the Cair herself.

* * *

"So, Mr. Terence," said Lucy, having all but forgotten about her family and friends, "tell me about yourself. What are unicorns like?"

"Haven't you heard the stories?" Terence asked her, with amusement and a hint of genuine surprise underlying his tone. "Surely there's plenty about us in your books and legends, right?"

Lucy looked down, somewhat shyly.

"Well," she said, poking at the loamy earth with the toe of her shoe, "I just want to hear it from your point of view, that's all. I'd like to hear _your_ side of the stories."

"Okay, then," Terence said compliantly, "I'll go along with that."

He therefore proceeded to elucidate. "You know, of course, that we unicorns are more than a bunch of horned horses, made to stand around and look pretty."

Lucy couldn't help smirking.

"We're creatures not often seen, and not easily captured. We're among the most powerful, and—if you'll forgive me—the most beautiful creatures on earth, if not _the_ most beautiful."

"I don't blame you for that," Lucy said.

"Our main source of magic comes from our horns," Terence continued, gesturing briefly with his eyes at his own golden lance. "With these, we can cut through just about any rope or chain, we can cure almost any injury or sickness, and we can make the foulest, filthiest water in the world as pure as rain." Here, the stallion stopped by a small stream that trickled quietly by.

"Would you like to see for yourself?" he asked.

"Of course, I would!" said Lucy, eager to see the tricks of unicorns in motion.

So Terence knelt at the edge of the stream, and dipped the tip of his horn into the cool water. The water, which had a somewhat brownish cast to it, turned as blue as the bright summer sky before Lucy's eyes, and as clear as glass. When Terence stood on all fours a moment later, he said to the girl, "Try it, Lucy. I'm pretty sure it was all right before I did that, but either way, it will taste much better now." When Lucy knelt down herself, cupped some of the water in her hands, and took a sip, she was amazed at how delicious and refreshing it was.

It was, indeed, like drinking early-spring rain; or better yet, like drinking liquid diamonds. Lucy didn't hesitate to gulp down more, plunging her hands greedily into the stream.

When at last she'd had enough, she wiped her mouth on her wrist before saying, "I never would have believed that water could taste so good!"

"What did I tell you?" Terence said triumphantly.

As Lucy climbed to her feet, she asked, "What else can you do, as a unicorn?"

"Well, I'm a swift runner. Not to brag, or anything—but I have yet to meet the horse, or the unicorn, that can run faster than me. I'm a bit of a jumper, too. My heart leaps with every leap."

Well! Lucy thought. Once the stallion started talking, he certainly had a lot to say.

She could have listened to him all day…except a different voice soon cut in.

"Lucy?" the voice called out. "Lucy, where are you?"

Then, before Lucy or Terence had a chance to react, Tumnus appeared, as if out of nowhere. "_Lucy!_" the faun gasped, the moment he saw the girl. He swiftly rushed to her side, looking worried and enormously relieved at the same time. "Lucy, are you all right? Where have you—" The rest of his sentence died instantly on his lips when his eye caught Terence.

In a brilliant flash of white, Terence forthwith sprang into the bushes to hide himself, but it was already too late.

Tumnus's eyes widened in amazement and disbelief, and his jaw dropped.

So, Lucy had been right the whole time—there _was_ a unicorn, after all!

Seeing that he was caught, and seeing that Tumnus didn't carry any weapons, or appear threatening in any manner, Terence tentatively stepped out of hiding. His ears were pricked forward, his eyes looking as stunned to see Tumnus as Tumnus was to see him. "It's all right," Lucy gently encouraged the unicorn, "it's only Mr. Tumnus. He's a good friend of mine."

For a time, Terence stood as still as stone, never once taking his eyes off Tumnus. Tumnus, at the same time, felt rooted to the spot. He couldn't move a muscle.

At length, Terence dared to venture a few steps closer.

Tumnus marveled at the beast's shining whiteness, his flowing, sylphlike grace.

Terence stopped within about five paces of the faun, and that was when he stopped, refusing to take one step further.

"Mr. Tumnus," said Lucy grandly, "I would like you to meet Mr. Terence. Mr. Terence, meet Mr. Tumnus."

Nothing happened, at first.

Tumnus remained where he was, looking like he'd been struck dumb.

Terence ended up being the one to break the ice. "Well?" the unicorn prompted. "Aren't you going to say something, goat boy? Or have you forgotten how to speak?"

That was when Tumnus found his tongue. "It—it's talking!" the faun stammered, his eyes wide and his ears aquiver, looking quite flabbergasted.

Terence only rolled his eyes, looking rather annoyed in contrast. "Sure, I can talk," the young stallion countered. "Or, is it the latest rumor that unicorns are mute?"

The sarcasm went by disregarded.

"I don't believe it," Tumnus breathed, unable to take his eyes off the white splendor before him. "You were right, Lucy!"

Lucy tried to not look too pleased with herself.

Tumnus noticed that Terence seemed to take especial interest in his legs and cloven hooves. "If I may be so bold to ask, just what are _you_ supposed to be?" Terence commented at one point.

Tumnus faltered, just as he had done with Lucy when she met him for the first time. "Well, I'm a…well, I'm a faun," he said lamely. His face felt unusually warm; at first he thought it was the heat of the sun overhead, but then Tumnus realized he was blushing. Terence blew gustily through his nostrils, much the way horses did.

"You're actually _friends _with him?" the unicorn asked Lucy.

"Of course, I am," Lucy beamed. Moving in closer to Tumnus's side and clinging to his arm, she went on, "Mr. Tumnus is the absolute dearest friend anybody ever had."

Terence's jewel-blue eyes roved appraisingly over the young faun.

"Well," Terence said slowly, "he seems…decent."

Somehow, though, Tumnus had a feeling that wasn't quite the word the stallion was looking for.


	10. Chapter 10

**THE WHITE WONDER**

_A-ha! Another glorious update! Goes to show that this story is not dead; merely very slow-going. I solemnly swear I'll get this thing done, one day or another, if it kills me. _

_I've received a great deal more inspiration from the movies. In fact, I just finished watching "Prince Caspian", and not merely a few scenes, but the whole thing. It's been a while since I watched a Narnia movie all the way, and I felt this powerful urge to watch all three films (that are out so far) in chronological order. While they are all fantastic, I still say the first one is and always will be the absolute best.  
_

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**Characters (except Terence) © C.S. Lewis and Disney/Walden Media**

**Terence and Story © unicorn-skydancer08**

_**All rights reserved. **_

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_**Any theft or copying of this story is prohibited. Your honesty is sincerely appreciated. **_

* * *

**CHAPTER 10  
**

Before either Tumnus, Lucy, or Terence had a chance to say anything more to one another—or say anything at all—they realized they had company. Turning their heads simultaneously in the same direction, they saw Oreius emerge from the thick of the wood, followed by several fauns, dwarves, and satyrs. The leopard and at least two big bloodhounds were at their feet. Everyone pulled up shortly at the sight before them. Even the leopard stopped dead in his tracks.

Not too far away, Lucy could hear her sister's griping: "I swear, when I get my hands on Lucy, I'm going to…" But before Susan could complete her threat, she and the boys and the remainder of their troupe had caught up with the others, and there was a sudden hush.

Complete silence fell over that area. You could have heard a pine needle break.

Terence was tempted to turn and flee on the spot, but having heard Lucy's name among the group, he knew that anyone in league with the girl couldn't be too dangerous. Besides, he had never seen a group like this, this close up before. There was something oddly intriguing about these people, even though the young stallion found the sight of horses' bodies merged with the bodies of men a downright ridiculous one.

"By Aslan!" one of the dwarves said at one point, his voice low and husky with disbelief.

Edmund blinked several times, then rubbed the back of his wrist over his eyes, as if to make sure they weren't fooling him. Had Susan's eyes been any wider, they would have popped straight out of her head. Peter was as awestruck as the rest of them. He'd always had a hunch that there had been a unicorn lurking about, but this proved it beyond a shred of doubt.

Even Oreius looked amazed. There was an expression of complete astonishment and wonder on the centaur's dusky face that was seldom seen before.

Presently, Lucy smiled at her siblings and the rest of the group—a smile that clearly said _"I told you so"_—and made a grand gesture at Terence.

Terence did nothing at first, but in a moment he bowed to them, lowering his horn just enough to be polite.

"So," said Peter, breaking the uncanny silence. "This is the beast."

"His name is Terence," said Lucy. "Isn't he simply beautiful?"

"You mean, he's handsome," Susan found herself correcting her. "Males are known as handsome."

"Well, I say he's beautiful."

"A pleasure to meet you all," Terence told the group outright, which caused quite a few of them to jump a mile.

Oreius, however, stood perfectly still and remained calm. "So he can speak," the centaur declared.

"As well as _you _can, man-horse," Terence countered. "Or horse-man, or whatever they call you."

Edmund struggled to repress a smirk.

"I take it you're all convinced now, aren't you?" Lucy stated. "You know I've been telling the truth this whole time, don't you?" She looked meaningfully at her sister at that last bit.

At a loss for words, Susan at least had the grace to lower her head and look embarrassed.

"You're right, Lu," said Peter quietly. "You've convinced us."

He then turned to Oreius and gave a single, brief nod. Understanding the signal, Oreius sidled a little closer to Ares and secretly dug into one of the bags that hung from the black horse's sides. From it, he produced the special bridle that Peter had demanded earlier. From the moment Terence's sharp eye caught that first glint of gold, he knew in an instant that something was up—something that he didn't particularly like.

Without hesitation, without another word, the white beast wheeled around and bolted out of there as if the place were on fire. "Terence!" Lucy cried after him.

"Wait!" Tumnus hollered as well. "Where are you going?"

"Quickly!" Peter bellowed to the others. "Follow that unicorn!" Then he goaded Ares into a full-fledged gallop, while the leopard and the dogs took off in a flash, the dogs barking wildly the whole time.

"_What are you doing?_" Lucy shrilled at her brother as he rode past her.

Peter didn't answer, nor did he acknowledge her in any way. He was focused solely on the way in which Terence had gone. He cracked the reins and dug the heels of his boots roughly into his horse's flanks to make him go faster, even though Ares was already stretching himself to the limit.

Edmund and Susan seemed just as surprised as Lucy, but the rest of them didn't hesitate to join the chase, one after the other, with loud whoops and a rolling pulsation of hooves.

"STOP!" shouted Tumnus at the top of his voice, though the others neither could nor would hear him.

Up ahead, Terence knew without needing to look back that he was being pursued. He smiled to himself.

He knew these people couldn't catch him if their lives depended on it, but he could certainly lead them on a merry chase!


End file.
